The present invention relates to a buoyancy compensator device for divers.
The buoyancy compensator device (BCD) is a jacket used by a diver during dives with a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) in order to adjust his or her buoyancy.
The BCD is useful because buoyancy varies according to depth, and the diver can adjust his or her buoyancy by inflating or deflating the BCD.
For this purpose, conventional BCDs are provided with a corrugated hose that is applied in an upper position of the jacket and whose free end has a manual control, connected to a high pressure line, for introducing and discharging air.
While air can be introduced with the control valve in any position, discharging the air from the jacket requires the end of the corrugated hose, to which the discharge valve is applied, to be always in a higher position, i.e., at a shallower depth, than the jacket.
In practice, the diver can discharge air from the jacket only in an upright head-up position by lifting the end of the corrugated hose above his or her shoulders.
There are situations in which the diver cannot assume the upright position to discharge the air from the jacket, for example in confined passages, in a cave, inside a shipwreck, or when it is necessary to remain motionless in order to avoid frightening marine animals, typically during filming or photographing.
Since even small depth variations cause a considerable variation in buoyancy, a loss of control of buoyancy is always awkward and in some cases dangerous.
Some jackets have a discharge valve that is arranged on the lower side and is provided with an actuation cord that allows to discharge air when the diver is upside down; however, actuation of the lower valve is not easy and in some conditions may not be accessible.
EP-0921064 discloses a buoyancy compensator device provided with four valves, two upper ones and two lower ones, that, by means of a single pneumatic control, allow to discharge air in any position of the diver. The buoyancy compensator device described in that patent is relatively complicated from a constructive standpoint because each valve unit is constituted by a pneumatic valve and by a one-way membrane that prevents water from entering the jacket during air discharge. That constructive complexity entails accurate maintenance and also greater care and attention during use.
Any malfunction of a device during a dive can be fatal, and the diver generally prefers devices that are constructively simple and tough, and accordingly more reliable, in view of the fact that underwater equipment is often used in difficult environmental conditions and far from specialized workshops equipped with spare parts.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a buoyancy compensator device that overcomes the drawbacks of the cited prior art.